'Indra's Net' is the first of a new genre of writing. This is not fantasy, and it is not sci fi; it's 'spi fi'; SPIRITUAL fiction.

Although 'Indra's Net' could be clumsily placed in between the aforementioned genres, it would certainly not be a comfortable fit, because fantasy is exactly that; PURE fantasy. It is unreality; driven solely by the imagination of the author. In encompasses strange and wonderful worlds and magical powers which can only be envisioned in the mind of the writer.

Science fiction, although similarly fashioned by creative minds, is more down to earth. Sci fi must bear some resemblance to the world we know; or at least to the rules that GOVERN the world we know. More often that not, sci fi revolves around the future, around advanced technology possible in theory if nothing else. It tends to involves battles against or interactions with unearthly civilisations which while bizzare must conform to scientific laws. It is a forum for scientific heritics and visionaries alike to share their dreams.

'Indra's Net' cannot be placed in either camp.

Set in present day Nepal and the Himalayas, 'Indra's Net' concerns the journey of eight child monks possesing exceptional psychic powers who head out into the wilderness both to curtail a hellish enemy and to aid their own spiritual development. It is a spectacular feast of stunning landscapes, vivid colour, enlightening philosophy and mind bending MAGIC which could only be done justice in either the pages of a book or through a bank busting plethora of CGI.

But this magic is not 'fantasy' magic. Since time imamorial, civilisations have documented psychic abilites; feats which defy the laws of pyhsics. Volumes exist detailing not only these phenomena, but how to bring them about. So the magic of 'Indra's Net' is not make believe magic; it is achieved through documented, tried and tested means just as science fiction machines act in accordance to the laws of science; to documented reality. The only difference in sci fi, and in 'spi fi,' is that such rare feats can occur as commonly and easily as the writer wills.

Though set in today's world, IN today's world, the unusual locations, the larger than life characters and the complex symbolism of every event which takes place makes 'Indra's Net' not a fantasy tale, but a REAL tale of spiritual travel placed into a PHYSICAL world. The entire Buddhist panthenon of deities, practices, ideology and self development are presented in a narrative form; characters, events and objects castv as metaphors for every inch of this vast philosophy.

'Indra's Net' can be read as a fantastic adventure, OR as a huge philsophical treatise on the ideas of Buddhism, or; preferably, BOTH symultainiously.

Indra's Net Character Pictures

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